First Look at Sony NEX-C3 and SLT-A35 Digital Cameras (HD VIDEO)

How small can cameras get and still be able to make professional quality images? Not much smaller than the new Sony NEX-C3 ($650 with 18-55mm kit lens) or the Alpha SLT-A35 ($699 with 18-55mm kit lens). Both feature a new 16.2MP APS-C sized sensor, improved low light performance, and longer battery life than previous models. The NEX-C3 now claims to be the world’s smallest interchangeable-lens camera with an APS-C sensor, while the SLT-A35 packs an incredible amount of features and control into a very small, HD SLR-style body. I prefer the SLT-A35 since it has a more powerful pop-up flash, fast phase-detect autofocus even in movie mode, Full HD 1080p movie recording (vs 720p on the NEX-C3), compatibility with Konica/Minolta and Sony A-mount lenses, plus sensor-shift image stabilization and a super-sharp electronic viewfinder. But the NEX-C3 just about fits in my shirt pocket (actually, it would if I used a smaller pancake-style 16mm f/2.8 lens instead of the larger kit zoom shown above). The NEX-C3 also has a tilting 3-inch LCD monitor which the SLT-A35 doesn’t.

A thorough description of each camera’s features will appear in the next issue of Outdoor Photographer Magazine, but if you want more info now, take 5 minutes to view my First Look video above.

About Author

Michael J. McNamara

Michael J. McNamara is the Editor-in-Chief of the McNamara Report, Director of In-Depth Focus Labs, and former Exec. Technology Editor at Popular Photography Magazine. His photo and video portfolios can be viewed at www.McPhotoVideo.com.

Sony was NOT the first company to introduce digital cameras into the market. It was the first to introduce Still Video cameras (analog technology) and many other technologies, but Fuji had a digital camera with removable memory available in Japan in 1989, a year before Kodak introduced a pro-level 1.3MP digital camera back integrated into a Nikon F3 in 1990 (DSC-100).